Key-ring.



No. 803,839. PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905. A. H. MERRILL.

KEY RING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1905.

ARTHUR H. MERRILL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

KEY-RING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1905.

Application led May 22, 1905. Serial No. 261,630.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. MERRILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Rings, of which the following is a specification.

In key-rings as ordinarily employed the keys are strung upon the ring in promiscuous order, and it is frequently diicult, especially at night, to select the key desired-for instance, the latch-key to the door of a dwelling.

My invention is designed to obviate the olisadvantages of the old class of key-rings and to provide a device for securing a segregated key in position, so that it may be readily found when not visible. v

Primarily, the object of the invention is the provision, in connection with a key-ring of any kind, of a device for retaining a desired key of the vbunch on the ring in a separated position from the other keys of said ring,

whereby it may be readily found at night and will be in position to be inserted in the lock, as will be hereinafter described.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in connection with a key-ring, of a separator controlled by a tension device and serving automatically to retain'a selected key out of contact with its fellows of the bunch.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in connection With a key-ring of any desired form, of a spring-actuated plunger carrying a device for separating one of the keys from the other keys on the ring.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a common form of keyring provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with parts in longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the plunger for carrying the key-retaining device provided with a atside or panel for the display of an advertisement. Fig. 4: is a view of a triangular form of key-ring equipped with my invention. Fig. 5 is a view of a square form of key ring, showing my invention attached thereto. Figs. 6 and 7 are side elevations of modications hereinafter described.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, the numeral 5 designates in a general way one of the common forms of key-ring, it comprising an oblong loop of wire 6 and a sliding spring-actuated plunger 7, said plunger having a recess 8 at one end to receive a terminal of the Wire loop and a chamber 9 for a spring 10, said chamber receiving the other end of the wire loop. One of the end bars of the wire loop is perforated at 12, and carried by the plunger 7 is a retainingdevice 13, shown in the form represented in Figs. 1 to 5. inclusive, as a pin reduced at one end to enter the perforation 12 and having a right-angular bent portion 13l seated in a socket 14 of said plunger 7. As will be obvious by inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawings, the plunger may be retracted against the tension of its spring, and a key 15, which it is desired to separate from the bunch, will be moved along the end bar of the key-ring, when, the plunger being released, the spring 12 thereofl will cause it to close the key-ring and to force the retainingpin 13 into the perforation 12 of the end bar of said key-ring, thereby segregating the key desired from the others on the ring. In Fig. 3 the plunger 7 is shown with slabbed or paneled sides 16, upon which an advertisement may be displayed.

In Fig. L a triangular form of ring 18 is illustrated, the plunger and retaining device being of the same kind and designated by the same numerals as are those of Figs. l to 3, inclusive.

In Fig. 5 a square form of ring 19 is illustrated, and in this form the plunger and retaining device are the same as in the other forms to which attention has been directed and are also designated by the same numerals.

In Fig. 6 a key-ring 20, having a button 21 at each of its extremities, is disclosed, and these buttons are normally kept in contact by the tension of the ring. In this forma curved pin 22 is rigidly7 attached to one arm of the ring and its other end enters a socket 23 in the opposing arm of said ring.

In Fig. 7 another common form of key-ring 24. is illustrated, and the construction of the pin or retaining device is the same as in Fig. 6.

Any form of key-ring, a part of which is under tension, may be equipped with the invention, and it is distinctly to be understood that said invention is not limited to any of the kinds of key-rings shown and described.

In Figs.`6 and 7 the normal tendency of the key-ring is to close, and this tendency is taken advantage of by securing the pin rigidly to one of the arms and causing it to enter a socket or perforation in the other arm.

Without limiting myself to the precise devices shown and described, what I claim is- 1. A key-ring having a part under tension,

IOO

IIO

and also having a perforation, and a device offset from and carried by said part under tension, and arranged normally to enter the perforation and form acompartment in which a selected key may be retained.

2. A key-ring having a seat in one part thereof, and a pin carried by and oifset from another part thereof, said pin being under tension, and arranged normally to enter the seat and retain a selected key in position.

3. A key-ring comprising a wire loop having a perforation in one of its arms; aspringactuated plunger located between the separated ends of said wire loop; and a retainingpin offset from and carried by said plunger,

'presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR H. MERRILL. Witnesses:

FRANCES E. BLODGETT, S. S. GROTTA. 

